European Ryder Cup team plan Seve Ballesteros tribute with team outfits

Europe’s Ryder Cup team will honour the memory of Seve Ballesteros by wearing navy and white in Sunday’s final round of singles games at Medinah.

Jose Maria Olazabal (left) and Davis Love III will be the team captains for this weekend’s 39th Ryder Cup at the Medinah Country Club (Picture: Reuters)

This year’s Ryder Cup will be the first since Ballesteros died in May last year, aged 54.Despite his individual success, Ballesteros will forever be associated with the Ryder Cup where he enjoyed success as both a player and a team captain, and in his memory Jose Maria Olazabal’s team will don the outfit which was his regular choice for the final round of major tournaments.’The word is that we’re wearing navy trousers, navy sweaters and white shirts like Seve always wore in the final round of majors,’ said European team member Paul Lawrie.’I think that will be our singles outfit. If that is indeed the case, there could be no more fitting a tribute to a guy like Seve than having 12 of the best players in Europe wearing his outfit on the final day of the Ryder Cup.Olazabal would not confirm the plan but said he had spoken to American team captain Davis Love III about it.’Seve is going to be there in our team in some way or form,’ said the Spaniard.’I have to say in that regard that I talked to Davis regarding that question, that first question and he was very understanding of it, and I’ll say no more at the moment.’

Seve Ballesteros (right, with US golfer Tom Kite) is one of the most important figures in European golfing history

Olazabal descibed his late compatriot as ‘a special man’ and said the team would ‘miss him a lot’.He also recalled the role Ballesteros played in his own Ryder Cup debut, at Muirfield Village in 1987.’I will never forget that little walk from the putting green to the first tee. I was shaking like a leaf,’ he said.’He approached me as we were walking on to the first tee. He looked at me, and said, ‘José María, you play your game, I’ll take care of the rest.’ And he did.’

Shortly before his death, Ballesteros gave his enthusiastic backing to Olazabal’s appointment as European team captain.‘A wonderful announcement for European golf. It goes without saying Jose Maria’s election is the right one,’ said Ballesteros.’I suppose it will be very difficult for me to be in the United States but I hope to watch it on TV and see his success. Jose Maria, I wish you the best of luck. Same as in the old times, you will have my support. You know better than anyone else what has to be done.’

In addition to the European clothing tribute on Sunday, the Americans will also try and score a psychological point after captain Love urged home fans to turn up wearing the red of the American team outfit.’It’s very, very intense,’ he said, when asked about what sort of atmosphere the players could expect.’It’s almost unfair to the players but I think these guys love the challenge of that and to see how they can react under that kind of pressure.’